In-line sealing machine



June 3, 1969 G. c. SPARKS ETAL 3,447,284

IN-LINE SEALING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1967 INVENTORS aemye asymr s WA. F

ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 53-209 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to packaging machinery, and is especially concerned with such machines as are adapted to form and seal packages from sheet material.

The machine of the instant invention includes essentially a conveyor for receiving and transporting package blanks or sheets through a loading station to a folding station where the blank is folded to enclose the loaded material. The conveyor transports the folded sheet to a sealing station where the sheet is sealed in its folded condition, and subsequently discharged from the conveyor.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a rapid and highly automatic machine which receives package blanks or sheets and successively conveys the same through a filling or loading station where the desired contents are introduced to the sheet, and thence completely automatically effects folding of the sheet about the contents and sealing of the sheet in its folded condition to produce a finished package.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a packaging machine of the type described which is extremely simple in construction, durable and reliable in operation throughout a long useful life, and which can be economically manufactured, operated and maintained.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view showing a packaging machine of the present invention with one side removed for clarity of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG- URE 1, partly broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional elevational view similar to FIGURE 1, but illustrating another operative condition of the machine.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURES 1-3 thereof, the machine there illustrated includes a pair of laterally spaced, generally horizontal frame members or sides 10, which members are suitably supported in elevated relation with respect to a floor 12, as by a pair of upstream legs 13 and a pair of downstream legs 14. Carried by the frame members 10, extending longitudinally in the space therebetween is a conveyor, generally designated 16. The conveyor 16 may be of any suitable endless type, and is illustrated as including a pair of laterally spaced upstream sprocket wheels 17, which may be rotatably carried by a laterally extending, generally horizontal, rotary shaft 18. Adjacent to the legs 14, and downstream thereof, the side members may rotatably carry an additional pair of laterally spaced sprocket wheels 19, say by a laterally extending, generally horizontal, rotary shaft 20.

Trained about the sprocket whels 17 and 19, extending longitudinally along and inward of the side members 10, are a pair of laterally spaced sprocket chains 21. The pair of chains 21 are disposed in generally parallel vertical planes, and have lower and upper runs in substantially horizontal, vertically spaced planes. Thus, the conveyor 16 includes vertically spaced, generally horizontal lower and upper runs.

Carried by the chains 21 of conveyor 16, for movement about the endless path of the conveyor downstream along the upper run and upstream along the lower run, as in the direction of arrow 23, are a plurality of generally flat, spaced carriers 25. That is, the carriers are generally of rectangular configuration, each including a rectangular baseplate 26 extending laterally across the space between the chains 21, having its opposite side portions suitably secured to respective chains for movement therewith and permitting of chain fiexure about sprocket wheels 17 and 19. Mounted on each carrier baseplate 26 is a specifically configured adapter plate 27, of a size and shape corresponding to the particular package being formed. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the adapter plates 27 are each formed with a laterally extending row of upwardly facing recesses 28. The adapter plates 27 are arranged for convenient detachment from the baseplates 26 for replacement with other adapter plates of other configurations, as required.

Also carried by the chains 21 of conveyor 16, and interposed in the spaces between adjacent carriers 25 are auxiliary mounting plates 30, which may be generally rectangular, each extending laterally between and secured at spaced locations to respective chains for movement therewith. The auxiliary mounting plates 30 are each provided with a selected number and arrangement of engaging structures 31, which may be arranged in accordance with the specific package being produced. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of engaging structures 31 are carried in laterally spaced relation on each auxiliary mounting plate 30, the engaging structures each including an upstanding flange or lip 32, with the lips of respective engaging structures being in alignment with each other laterally of the conveyor. Carried by each lip 31 and projecting upstream therefrom, with respect to conveyor movement on the upper run, is an engaging element or hook 33 having an upstanding extremity or point, best seen in FIGURES l and 4. The engaging structures 31 and their hooks 33 are located in alignment with a respective pair of recesses 28 of the adjacent upstream adapter plate 27, as seen on the upper conveyor run in FIGURE 2.

It will also there be apparent that the adapter plates 27 may be provided with upstanding guide pins 34 and 35 spaced laterally outward of the recesses 28. Along the rearward or upstream edge of each carrier 25 there may be provided upstanding retainer flanges or lips 36, of modest height, say approximating the thickness of sheet material being operated upon. Also, each of the carriers 25, say at the trailing or upstream end of its plate 30, may be provided with an upstanding boss or lug 37, along one side of the conveyor, say adjacent to one side frame member 10, the upper frame member, as seen in FIGURE 2.

At the upstream or loading end of conveyor 16, there may be provided a sheet-feeding apparatus, generally designated 40, which may be of conventional construction, as illustrated. The apparatus may include a hopper or stack storage structure 41 for retaining a stack of sheets 42 adapted to be removed from the underside of the stack. The stack of sheets 42 may be disposed in forwardly inclined relation, as illustrated, and spaced below the underside thereof may be provided an inclined, apertured plate 43 having a chute 44 extending obliquely downstream from the lower end of the plate. A crosshead 45 may be arranged beneath the plate 43 and provided with a plurality of suction cups 46 reciprocable through the plate 43 for suctional engagement with the lowermost sheet 42 to draw the latter against the plate. The crosshead 45 may be carried by a plunger 47 mounted in a cylinder 48, suitably actuated, say by hydraulic or pneumatic means. Thus, upon forward and upward shifting movement of plunger 47, the suction members 46 pass through the apertures of plate 43 to grasp the lowermost sheet 42, and upon return of the plunger 47 the sheet is drawn against plate 43 and released by the suction members for gravitational sheet movement downward along chute 44 toward the upper run of conveyor 16.

Spaced downstream from the sheet-feeding means 40 the support legs 14 may each be provided with upward extensions 50 beyond the upper run of conveyor 16, and a transverse support member or beam 51 may extend across the upper ends of extensions 50 spacedly over the conveyor. A mounting cylinder 52 may be fixedly carried on the underside of support beam 51, depending therefrom toward and spaced above the conveyor 16. Carried by the mounting cylinder 52, on the upstream side thereof, may be a pair of angulate mounting brackets 53 extending in spaced relation generally horizontally over the upper run of conveyor 16, upstream from the support structure 50, 51. The mounting brackets 53 may carry at their upstream ends a laterally extending bar or rod 54. Depending from opposite ends of the bar 54 are a pair of arms 55, which terminate short of the upper run of conveyor 16. Carried on the lower end of each arm 55 is a resilient hold-down element or pressure foot 56. The pressure feet may each be fashioned of a resilient U-shaped strip arranged with its bight portion upstream and its legs spaced one over the other, with the upper leg fixed to the respective arm 55 and the lower leg in resilient bearing engagement with a nether carrier 25. Medially of the bar 54 may be an additional resilient hold-down member or pressure foot 57, which may comprise a relatively large U-shaped resilient strip having its bight portion upstream and its legs spaced one over the other, with the upper leg fixed to the bar 54. The lower leg of hold-down element 57 is free for resilient bearing engagement with a nether carrier 25.

Thus, the hold-down means defined by pressure feet 56 and 57 are located upstream of the mounting cylinder 52, and spaced down-stream from the feeding means 40, the space between the feeding means and hold-down means providing a filling or loading station, as will appear more fully hereinafter.

Projecting vertically downward from the mounting cylinder 52 may be a plunger 60 carrying on its lower end a sealing head 61 for movement with the plunger vertically downward toward and upward away from the upper run of conveyor 16. The sealing head 61 may be a conventional heat-and-pressure applicator for sealing of thermoplastic materials, or other suitable sealing means.

Located below the upper run of conveyor 16, intermediate the hold-down means 56, 57 and the sealing means 61, is a swingable member 62. More particularly, the swingable member 62 includes an arm 63 fixed at one end to a generally horizontal, laterally extending, rotatable rod or shaft 64. The shaft 64 may extend laterally between and have its opposite ends journaled in respective side frame members 10. -In the lowered or retracted condition of swinging member 62, as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the arm 63 extends downstream from the shaft 64 in a declining relation. Carried on the downstream end of arm 63 is an upstanding extension 65 in angulate relation with respect to the arm. The extension 65 may be of curved or arcuate configuration, as seen in FIGURE 1.

By suitable operating means the swingable member 62 is connected to the sealing head 61 for actuation thereby. In particular, a bell crank 66 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 67 fixed to one leg 14. A generally vertical link 68 is connected between the sealing head 61 and one end of the bell crank 66 to swing the latter upon reciprocation of the sealing head. A crank 69 may be rigidly connected to the shaft 64, and an additional link 70 may be connected between the crank 69 and bell crank 66, so that rotation of the latter is transmitted through the link 70 and crank 69 to the shaft 64 for swinging the swingable member 62 between its lowered or retracted position of FIGURE 1 and an upper or extended position of FIG- URE 4. In practice, a pair of swingable members 62 may be carried by the shaft 64 in laterally spaced relation; and, each of the auxiliary conveyor plates 30 may be provided with a pair of cutouts 71, respectively adjacent to and upstream of the engaging structures 31 for receiving the extension 65.

In addition, the brackets 53 may carry one or more folding mechanisms 74 located between the hold-down means 56, 57 and sealing means 61. The folding mechanisms 74 may each be carried by a laterally extending bar 75 fixed beneath a respective bracket 53, and may include an elongate resiliently deflectable rod or wire 76 extending downstream and obliquely declining to a free end at the level of the carriers 25. The upstream end of elongate element 76 may extend upstream of the supporting bar 75, and be provided with an extension 77 inclining downstream and toward the bar 75 for securement thereto. In practice, the elongate member 76 and its extension 77 may be integral and afford increased resilient defiectability to the elongate member. In addition, a retaining member 78, of resilient elongate material, such as wire, may extend from the bar 75 and decline upstream, generally below the extension 77.

In operation, suitable drive means 80 may be provided, such as a motor, or the like, and drive a transmission or reduction gear '81 which may be connected by suitable means, such as a belt or chain 82 to one of the conveyor sprocket-wheel shafts, such as shaft 20. Further, the transmission chain or belt 82 may drive through a single-revolution clutch 83, or other suitable means, to effect intermittent or stepped movement of the conveyor 16.

During the intervals between conveyor movement, suitable actuating means (not shown) serves to energize cylinder 48 for delivering a sheet 42 to chute 44 where it slides gravitationally into engagement with engaging structures 31. As best seen in FIGURE 2, a sheet 42 includes apertures 85 arranged to receive the upstanding engaging elements or hooks 33. Upon the next movement of conveyor 16, the previously delivered sheet 42 is drawn downstream, as *by engagement of hooks 33' in apertures 85 to an intermediate location or filling station, where an operator may place contents on the sheet, as in the position of sheet 42a, say over the recesses 28. It will be observed that the sheet 42a is located with its rearward or trailing edge just forward of the lips or flanges 36.

After filling, the sheet is conveyed by the next step of conveyor movement into position beneath the hold-down means 56, 57, the latter resiliently bearing against the sheet to hold the same firmly on its carrier. The sheet in position beneath the holddown means is designated as 42b. Upon movement of the sheet 42b into its helddown position, a lug 37 engages an activating member or switch 86, say fixed on one frame member 10, which effects energization of cylinder 52 to shift the sealing head 61 downward and simultaneously swing extension 65 upward to the position shown in FIGURE 4. It will there be observed that the leading or donwstream portion of the sheet 42b held in position by the hold-down means 56, '5-7 is folded upwardly and rearwardly. The leading edge portion of sheet 42b, upon being swung upwardly and rearwardly may snap-engage past the retaining element 78 to be held in its upwardly swung position by the retaining element upon retraction of the extension 62.

Upon the next stepped movement of conveyor 16, the sheet is moved into position beneath the sealing head 61, as at 420. During this movement, it will be apparent that the elongate element 74 effectively completes folding of the previously upwardly swung leading edge sheet portion, and upon the next downward movement of sealing head 61, the folded sheet is sealed in its folded condition. Sheet movement between the positions of sheets 42b and 42c from beneath hold-down means 56, 57 to beneath sealing means 61, is assured by abutment of the lips or flanges 36 with the rear or trailing edge of the sheet.

Upon successive stepped movements of the conveyor, the folded and sealed sheet, now a completed package, will be dropped or delivered from the downstream end of the conveyor 16.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a packaging machine which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging machine comprising an endless conveyor having upper and lower runs, a plurality of outwardly facing carriers arranged along said conveyor for receiving respective packaging sheets on said upper run, a plurality of outwardly projecting engaging members arranged along said conveyor each forward of a respective carrier, feeding means at the upstream end of said upper run for depositing an apertured package sheet onto each successive carrier with an aperture of each deposited sheet in receiving relation with the adjacent forward engaging member, a filling station along the upper run of said conveyor downstream of said feeding means for placing contents on an upstream portion of each of said deposited sheets, a hold-down located along said upper run downstream of said filling station for bearing engagement with the upstream portion of a filled sheet to effectively hold the sheet in position on its nether carrier, a swinging member mounted between said runs just downstream of said hold-down for extension and retraction through said upper run to engage and swing the leading portion of said held sheet upwardly out of said receiving relation, a folding member located along said upper run just downstream of said swinging member for engagement with the upwardly swung sheet portion to fold the latter into overlying relation with the associated upstream sheet portion on its carrier, and a sealer located along said upper run downstream of said folding member for sealing together the overlying sheet portions.

2. A packaging machine according to claim 1, in combination with rearward abutment means on each of said carriers and engageable with said sheets to insure sheet movement with said carriers past said folding member and sealer.

3. A packaging machine according to claim 1, said carriers etach comprising a generally flat plate configured to support said sheet, and said hold-down comprising resilient foot means for bearing engagement with a sheet to hold the latter during upward movement of the leading sheet portion by said swinging member.

4. A packaging machine according to claim 3, said folding member comprising an elongate element declining downstream toward and terminating proximate to said upper run for folding said leading sheet portion.

5. A packaging machine according to claim 4, said folding member comprising a resilient retaining element declining upstream toward and terminating short of said upper run for retaining said leading sheet portion in its upwardly swung condition.

6. A packaging machine according to claim 1, said swinging member comprising an arm pivotally mounted beneath said upper run for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis, and an upstanding extension on said arm and movable therewith between a retracted position beneath a carrier and an extended position above a carrier.

7. A packaging machine according to claim 6, said sealer comprising a sealing head movable generally vertically toward and away from said upper run, mounting means mounting said sealer head for said vertical movement, and linkage means connected between said sealerhead mounting means and arm for effecting simultaneous upward and downward movement of said arm upon respective downward and upward movement of said'sealer head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,118,262 1/1964 Messick 53-184 THERON E. CONDON, Primaly Examiner. N. ABRAMS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 53-373 

